President Bush limited his deliberations over commuting the jail term of I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby to a few close aides, opting not to consult with the Justice Department and rebuffing efforts by close friends to lobby on Libby's behalf, administration officials and people close to Bush said yesterday.

"We were all told to stay away from it," said an old Bush friend from Texas who is close to Libby and would not speak for attribution. "When we called over there, they said the president is well aware of the situation, so don't raise it. None of us lobbied him because they told us not to."

For the first time in his presidency, Bush made a decision to commute a sentence without going through a process of running requests through lawyers at the Justice Department, White House officials said. He also did not ask the chief prosecutor in the case, Patrick J. Fitzgerald, for his input, as routinely happens in cases routed through the Justice Department's pardon attorney.

...A lot of people are going to be bitter about this," said one prominent Washington conservative ... "The president praises Fitzgerald and basically accuses Scooter of lying. He's parsing this down the middle, which is not the way Scooter's friends see it. People are happy that he's not going to jail, but this is not what people were hoping for."

...In many respects, Bush's statement explaining his decision suggests a classic political compromise.

Despite the anger felt by GOP partisans towards the special prosecutor, Bush was careful to be respectful of Fitzgerald, describing him as "a highly qualified, professional prosecutor who carried out his responsibilities as charged."

Bush wanted to please every one but as usual ended up pleasing no one. If Fitzgerald was wrong, it should have been a complete pardon. But if the President thought Fitzgerald was right, leave the sentence alone! Either go ALL the way or don't bother. The White House's political tone deafness continues.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

I don't know if I'm "bitter" but I'm certainly disgusted!! Pleased that Libby won't go to jail, but disgusted that no one in the WH seems to grasp that this is a political war with the scum of the left (including the MSM), and that what was needed and warranted was a thumping assertion of the contemptible nature of the dishonest political witchhunt that got us to this point......

...A lot of people are going to be bitter about this," said one prominent Washington conservative ... "The president praises Fitzgerald and basically accuses Scooter of lying. He's parsing this down the middle, which is not the way Scooter's friends see it. People are happy that he's not going to jail, but this is not what people were hoping for."

Quote:
It seems that after Clinton’s FALN clemency, the House passed a bill “Expressing the Sense of the Congress that the President Should Not Have Granted Clemency to Terrorists.” A number of now-outraged Democrats voted against the bill, including House Judiciary Committee chairman John Conyers. Rep. Nancy Pelosi, now speaker, didn’t vote. But she later explained that she was against criticizing the president’s decision:

Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Chairman, on the last vote, H. Con. Res. 180, I was detained in traffic while returning to the Capitol. Had I been present, I would have voted “no.”

14
posted on 07/02/2007 8:57:19 PM PDT
by ScaniaBoy
(Part of the Right Wing Research & Attack Machine)

"...A lot of people are going to be bitter about this," said one prominent Washington conservative ... "The president praises Fitzgerald and basically accuses Scooter of lying. He's parsing this down the middle, which is not the way Scooter's friends see it. People are happy that he's not going to jail, but this is not what people were hoping for.""

This pardoning of Scooter Libby smacks of the corruption that was evident in the Clinton administration. As Bill Clinton’s term wound down, if my memory serves me correctly, didn’t he pardon a bunch of people who in some form or fashion were close to him (i.e. monetary donations, golfing buddies, etc.). Simply put, Bush really needs to step down ... this guy has no clue as to what is going on in the world. And now this. I wonder how many CIA operatives or CIA associates had their cover blown by Scooter’s outing of the CIA woman (sorry, I forgot her name). I bet some people aren’t six feet above ground any longer now. Such corruption. Evil administration.

There is a possibility that Bush operated in this manner so Libby could continue his appeal and be vindicated by an appeals court or by SCOTUS. A full pardon would have been final and ended all court action.

With a vacation on appeal, Fitzslime would be legally wrong and judged to have operated outside the law, restoring Libby's reputation and rights. A pardon would make this point legally impossible to achieve.

However, Bush does not make good use of any legal backing he gets by taking it to the bully pulpit and forcing it into the MSM, and he is playing catch up, if he is trying to legally vindicate Libby with this process. It would have been much easier and absolutely effective to control the investigation and Fitzpervert from the start, and whitewash the control of the investigation again from the bully pulpit, making it a sure win.

There was another president who said something about pleasing the people; this president probably understands the quote better than most. He has left the appeals process in place but has made it known that the sentencing was excessive, which is was for a supposed perjury unrelated to the original charge.

20
posted on 07/02/2007 9:12:25 PM PDT
by skr
(Car bombs and IEDs are the exclamation marks for the latest Democrats' talking points.)

My first reaction was that he tried to split the baby on this one. I didn’t really care either way what happened to Libby. I didn’t follow the trial. I am sure juries can be wrong. I’m also sure that in politics, everyone always says the jury’s wrong when it’s their guy. So I have no way of knowing. I think the “process” crime arguments are weak. Crime is crime. Anyway, seems like GW tried to split the difference. Libs will wail anyway, as they are already doing. GOPers are glad Libby’s not gonna be living in striped sunlight, but think GW should have pardoned.

From what I read since only his sentence was commuted he can still appeal the conviction and have it over turned. If he had giving him a full pardon he could not appeal. Some thought this was a better route.

This pardoning of Scooter Libby smacks of the corruption that was evident in the Clinton administration. As Bill Clintons term wound down, if my memory serves me correctly, didnt he pardon a bunch of people who in some form or fashion were close to him (i.e. monetary donations, golfing buddies, etc.). Simply put, Bush really needs to step down ... this guy has no clue as to what is going on in the world. And now this. I wonder how many CIA operatives or CIA associates had their cover blown by Scooters outing of the CIA woman (sorry, I forgot her name). I bet some people arent six feet above ground any longer now. Such corruption. Evil administration.

Your post is a classic example of someone who is totally ignorant of any facts and yet spouts off like an authority.

32
posted on 07/02/2007 9:38:49 PM PDT
by Wolfstar
(If ye break faith with us who die, We shall not sleep, though poppies grow in Flanders fields.)

Quote — “The president praises Fitzgerald and basically accuses Scooter of lying. He’s parsing this down the middle, which is not the way Scooter’s friends see it. People are happy that he’s not going to jail, but this is not what people were hoping for.”

This is why hardly anyone is going to be happy about this. President Bush has no intention of ever pardoning Libby...

This pardoning of Scooter Libby smacks of the corruption that was evident in the Clinton administration. As Bill Clintons term wound down, if my memory serves me correctly, didnt he pardon a bunch of people who in some form or fashion were close to him (i.e. monetary donations, golfing buddies, etc.). Simply put, Bush really needs to step down ... this guy has no clue as to what is going on in the world. And now this. I wonder how many CIA operatives or CIA associates had their cover blown by Scooters outing of the CIA woman (sorry, I forgot her name). I bet some people arent six feet above ground any longer now. Such corruption. Evil administration. Front 242

*laughing* But Scooter didn't out anyone and that wasn't what he was charged with.

Probably some left wing crackpots need to get a clue themselves. But..... I have no hope of this. The left wing will always remain in La La land.

For the first time in his presidency, Bush made a decision to commute a sentence without going through a process of running requests through lawyers at the Justice Department, White House officials said. He also did not ask the chief prosecutor in the case, Patrick J. Fitzgerald, for his input, as routinely happens in cases routed through the Justice Department's pardon attorney.

Q. And how long would that have taken?

A. Much longer than the time elapsed between the sentencing and the ruling today that he could not await the answer from the appeals process before beginning to serve time.

The Washington Post knows this - and should be doing some editing before peddling such rubbish. Oh, wait... they hate Bush. Never mind.

41
posted on 07/02/2007 10:27:49 PM PDT
by Wally_Kalbacken
(Seldom right but never in doubt)

There is no doubt that the Fitzpervert investigation was enabled by Bush's directive and the targets were ordered to cooperate with the prosecutor. An astoundingly poor tactic and strategy, knowing the DemoRats. Rove and Libby complied, Monica Goodling (in a different perjury trap) didn't, and look at the results: Bush et all are branded criminals and the MSM won't go anywhere near Goodling, they know she's too smart for them.

This was no surprise. Libby was not going to prison. The President does what he believes is right, and he willingly takes the heat.

Bush only threw Libby a bone. He did not pardon Libby. Libby is still stuck with a 250K fine, two years probation, and a felony conviction which destroys his career.

Bush is certainly loyal to himself but not Libby. In my opinion he screwed Libby to placate the non-existent center. As LBJ once said " the only things in the middle of the road are yellow lines and dead armidillos."

There is a possibility that Bush operated in this manner so Libby could continue his appeal and be vindicated by an appeals court or by SCOTUS. A full pardon would have been final and ended all court action.

I respectfully submit you had it right in your first paragraph.

Bush hasn't done well with the bully pulpit, and any machinations--"controlling Fitz"--would have been clear as day.

This way, he gives Libby the opportunity to be FOUND not guilty. Then, there's simply nothing to say about it--done and done.

And if he's not successful on appeal, who knows? But I think Bush made the correct decision here, as he's so unpopular that anything done from the bully pulpit in Libby's defense would be seen as a cover-up of SOME kind by those who aren't paying close attention to the details of the case.

Is there danger in continuing the appeal? If the conviction is overturned on appeal, could Fitzfong elect to retry Libby? For that matter, how much longer is the Special Prosecutor going to stay in business?

Bush hasn't done well with the bully pulpit, and any machinations--"controlling Fitz"--would have been clear as day.

I agree, but let's take this in two parts.

Bush being ineffective at the bully pulpit is ENTIRELY Bush's fault.

Further, it is the reason that "machinations" could be cast as such, rather than the reigning in of a Stalinist conspiratorial political prosecutor.

I propose that if part one was not true, part two would not be possible.

Let's review a few of W's mistakes:

Assuming the Presidency and not cleaning the government of leftie subversives in all the agencies that would subvert his Presidency.

Jumping forward: appointing a special prosecutor before appointing loyalists within the CIA to investigate Wilson and Plame the moment Wilson went public because he hadn't been required to sign a nondisclosure agreement with CIA (contrary to CIA SOP). The results of which would have exposed Wilson and Plame as liars and conspirators with middle east financial interests who knowingly delivered false intelligence to CIA. Declassify the report and take it public in the bully pulpit.

Disclaimer:
Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual
posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its
management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the
exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.